Jasmine...
I was dancing with Chris, at least that is what I think he said his name was. I cannot remember.
I am drunk. Probably the worst I have ever been in my life. I know it's not healthy to drink your bodyweight in alcohol, but I had reasons too...
And besides, the alcohol was making me feel happy... An allusion? Maybe. But did I care... Hell no...
"Do you want to get out of here?" Christ What-his-name said to me, his lips resting against my ear so I could hear him over the music.
"Sure." I say back.
He took my hand and led me outside. My mind was hazy, and not in control of my body but I should have known where this was going...
He pushed me up against the side of the house; his lips instantly attacked mine...
I didn't like it. It wasn't that he was a particularly bad kisser, maybe a little too much tongue, but I didn't want it... I didn't want this man kissing me.
I raised my hands and pushed back against his shoulders. He didn't move at first, so I put my entire body behind it and shoved him again... He stumbled back.
"What are you doing?" He said, stepping to me again, and again tried to kiss me...
"Get off me!" I hissed.
"Oh, come on Baby." His hand was on my face, cupping my cheek. "I know your type."
Was he calling me a slut? Did he think I went around and randomly fuck people? And what exactly was my type?
Rockstar; Woman or whore?
"Get away from me!" I shoved against his shoulders hard, he stumbled back.
"You stupid bitch!" He yelled.
A ball of anger bursts inside me. How dare he call me a Bitch. He doesn't even know me... My hand clenched into a fist and I struck out at him, connecting dead on with his jaw.
I heard a crunch. It came from my hand, not his face.
I screamed and ran... Yes ran... I'm one of those people who when they get hurt, they run. When I kick my toe, I run. When I slam my fingers in a draw, I run.... And yes, I am unusually clumsy.
So I ran, and I tripped, and I found myself screaming again...
It felt like a million needles were stabbing into my skin. The pain was unbearable. And then everything simply turned numb as coldness surrounded me...
The air was taken from me, my mind shut down from the cold. Some part of me understood what happened, that I had fallen into the pool.
I sunk like a rock to the bottom.
I tried to move, to push myself off the bottom and swim to the surface but my limbs wouldn't work...
I needed air.
I'm not a fish, I cannot transform into one, although, at this point in my life, that would be an awesome superpower...
I tried to breath. It was a huge mistake. Water filled my mouth, and I think my lungs... It hurt...
I blinked my eyes rapidity, but the darkness was becoming more and more dominate in my vision.
Was this how I was going to die? Drowned in a pool?
...
Matt...
I didn't even think about it. As soon as I reached the edge of the pool, I dived in...
Jaz had fallen into the pool, and I was scared she was too drunk to know what was happening...
The cold water soaked through my clothes instantly. It stole my breath. But I didn't care. I wasn't going up until I found Jasmine.
It was dark in the pool. The cold water burnt my eyes. I blinked and regretted it. My eyes burnt more when I opened them again... But in that moment of pain, I saw a black blob. It has to be Jazzy.
I kicked my legs harder, reaching my arms out in front of me as I moved.
I touched something solid but soft and grabbed it, pulling it to me. The black blob turned into Jaz. I pulled her to my completely, right into my chest, and wrapped my arms around her. When I was sure I had a good hold, I kicked my feet off the bottom and shot us up to the surface...
"Matt!" I heard my name yelled when we broke through the already shattered ice... With Jaz still held tightly against me, I side-kicked us over to the edge, to where Jeff was reaching out for us...
I made it to the edge and helped Jeff as he pulled Jasmine from my arms... I climbed out after her and fell immediately at her side. She was only in the water for maybe 10 seconds before me, but she seemed to be unconscious...
Had she hit her head when she fell?
"Jasmine" I say, pressing my hand against the side of her face. Her eyes snap open and I feel a huge weight being lifted off my lungs. I take in a deep breath.
"Your hands are cold." She whispers, and I could help it. I laugh...
"And you are turning blue." I tell her... I stand up before bending down and picking her up in my arms. There was a good circle of people around us, staring. "All is good. Go back to the party!" I yelled at them all...
I made our way inside and upstairs.
"Are you both alright?" I heard Beth ask from behind me.
"Should we call an Ambulance?" Jeff added on. I shook my head.
"I'll look after her. Go back down stairs." I tell them as I walk into my bedroom.
"Matt?" I turn to the door when Beth says my name. She looked worried. So did Jeff... "Call if you need help." She said.
"I will..."
"And get her warm." I just nodded. The two of them stepped back and closed my bedroom door... I walked into my connecting bathroom and sat Jaz on the counter. Her eyes were open, but drooping.
I cup my hands around Jasmine's face, tilting her head up until she was looking at me... Her skin was so cold; her lips were actually turning a little blue. I have to get her into a hot shower...
"It's going to be okay." I tell her, she smiles at me but I don't know if my words were making any sense to her. "Are you hurt?" I ask next.
"My hand." Her voice was light, drunk. The cold water didn't seem to wash it away... I brought my hands down from her face and grabbed a light hold of hers... Jaz's right hand was red, a little bruised with the two middle knuckles split and bleeding...
"What happened?" I ask, frowning as I look into her face again...
"I punched that guy... He kissed me... I didn't want to be kissed." She sounded like a scared child. It broke my heart a little. She was hurting so much right now. But she would recover. Jasmine is strong.
"Let get you warmed up." I tell her gently. "A nice hot shower will help." Luckily my bathroom was only small. With one of my hands still holding Jasmine, I reached out, into the shower, and turned it on. "Arms up." I say, taking a hold of the bottom of her black sweater and pulling it up a little... Jaz slapped my hand away...
"I'm not sleeping with you." She hissed. "I'm not a whore."
"Jazzy, I know..." I pressed my hands against her face so she was looking up at me again. "You have to get out of your wet clothes, at least down to your underwear. You'll get sick otherwise."
"You too then." she said, a bit more of her coming back into her voice. That was a good sign... "Why should you be the only one getting the free show." I had to laugh; I had no other reaction to those words.
"Okay." I struggled with my jacket and shirt. They were stuck to me like a second skin. I looked to Jaz only to find her smiling...
"And the jeans." She pointed. I rolled my eyes but followed her orders, toeing out of my shoes and then my jeans...
Jasmine giggles, and if I had know this was going to happen tonight, I would have chose my boxes more carefully. The black and red heart boxes were a little embarrassing.
"You will not tell anyone about this." I threaten lightly, pointing my finger at her. She just laughed more. I guess a man in nothing but black and red heart boxes isn't that intimidating... "Now, arms up."
Jasmine didn't fight me this time. She raised her hand up and allowed me to pull her sweater off. I dropped it on the floor with my clothes...
I looked back at her, and my eyes wondered for a few seconds. I couldn't help it. My eyes widened as they took the black lacy bra that covered her chest. The black really made her skin stand out. She looked like a porcelain doll, perfect white flawless skin...
"Eyes are up here buddy." Her voice brought me back to reality. My head snapped up, and I think I was blushing. If I was, Jaz didn't say anything.
"Stand up." I tell her with a little cough. She slid off the counter but I had to grab her as her knees buckled out. My hands held her shoulders, hers grabbed my waist. I jumped a little when her cold hands touched me. She let go of me, her hands falling down to her side.
I slowly dropped my hands and unbuckled her jeans. I waited for her to say something, to slap my hands away, but she didn't. She stood still and watched every move I made as I slowly pushed her jeans down her legs.
"Step out." I said softly as I held her shoulders again. Her balance wasn't good, and knowing Jasmine like I do, she would probably trip, hit her head and crake it open...
She toed out of her shoes and then used her feet to push her jeans the rest of the way off...
We stood in front of each other in nothing more than our underwear. It was strange, and I'm sure if someone walked in right now, they would get the wrong idea.
I pushed the shower curtain aside. A cloud of steam escaped and filled the bathroom.
"Come on..." I found myself whispering. "Before all the hot water is gone." I didn't wait for Jaz to say anything. I just gripped her waist, picked her up and stepped us both in the shower...
A small sigh left her lips when the first drops of water hit our skin. She snuggled into me, her cheek rubbing against my chest and her arms wrapped around me, hugging me tight. I found myself smiling, really liking being this close to her.
I close my eyes, rest my chin against the top of her head and just hold her...